Patients referred to a specialist clinic because of suspected temporomandibular disorders: a survey of 3194 patients in respect of diagnoses, treatments, and treatment outcome

The aims were to study the patient population at a temporomandibular disorders (TMD) specialist clinic over time, and to try to find variables of importance for treatment outcome. The material consisted of 3194 consecutive patients who were referred to the clinic and underwent a clinical examination during the period 1995-2002. A number of patient and treatment-related variables that had been collected in an electronic database were analyzed retrospectively. The age and sex distribution of the present patient material was in line with several previous investigations of TMD patients. The mean age of both men and women was 42 years, and there was a large preponderance of women. A vast majority of the patients responded positively, and in few visits, on traditional conservative treatment methods. In line with previous studies, no strong predictors for treatment outcome were found. However, the diagnoses of disk displacement without reduction, arthritis in TMJs, and myalgia in masticatory muscles were predictors for a significant improvement, while the diagnosis orofacial pain of unspecified origin predicted a poorer prognosis.